RIP

UFC superstar Jon Jones is FURIOUS over the killing of George Floyd -- saying the police officer used a move called a "blood choke" ... and it's worse than torture.

"Anyone who has practiced the very basics of jujitsu recognizes a [blood choke] when they see this," Jones said.

"That was as clear as day murder, torture."

FYI, a blood choke is a stranglehold in which key arteries and jugular veins are constricted, cutting off blood flow to the brain ... as opposed to an air choke, which restricts breathing.

Jones -- who's been a top mixed martial artist for decades -- didn't stop there.

"That whole if you can talk you can breathe crap is bullsh*t. What that man went through was worse than drowning."

"I wouldn't wish the way George Floyd was murdered on my worst enemy. That officer applied just enough pressure to keep him alive for almost six minutes in that chokehold."

"In all my years of fighting I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything close to that level of torture."

"There needs to be a nationwide policy change. When a man is in handcuffs and is screaming that he cannot breathe. Get the f*ck off his chest and/or neck. If you can't hold a man who is in handcuffs down by his feet you’re a p*ssy and probably shouldn’t be wearing that badge."

George Floyd was killed on May 25 when 4 police officers resounded to a "forgery in progress" call in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

During the incident, one of the officers put his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 MINUTES, despite his pleas that he couldn't breathe.

Dimitri Diatchenko -- best known for his famous role in "Chernobyl Diaries" -- died from an accidental fentanyl and valium overdose.

According to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Daytona Beach, Florida ... Dimitri's official cause of death is listed as a combination of fentanyl and diazepam toxicity. He also suffered from cardiomegaly ... an enlarged heart -- and had moderate coronary artery disease.

The report also lists the cause of death as an accident following "illicit drug abuse with prescription drug use." It's interesting ... the report also says Dimitri "sustained injury by electrocution [at 220 volts] while at work several days prior to being found dead at his home" but the medical examiner ultimately excluded a delayed arrhythmia from the electrical shock as a cause of death.

The report also stated Dimitri had long-standing prescriptions for hydrocodone and diazepam, but could not confirm a prescription for fentanyl.

TMZ broke the story ... Dimitri died back in April and it came as a complete shock to his family. Dimitri's family was worried after not hearing from him for several days. Dimitri, who played Uri in "Chernobyl Diaries," also had roles in "Get Smart" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

He was 52.

The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer is the latest example of a shockingly disturbing reality in America ... leading many to conclude it's "open season on black people" ... this according to the lawyer representing George's family.

Attorney Ben Crump joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to express the shock, outrage and sadness so many are feeling following Monday night's brutal incident ... in which a cop, who was responding to a forgery call, choked off George's air supply until he died.

Crump says George's family is having a terrible time comprehending what's captured on video -- the cop kept his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 MINUTES, despite his pleas that he couldn't breathe ... and everyone's in disbelief at what Ben calls a lack of humanity.

As we reported ... the Police Dept. released a statement saying no weapons were used during the incident, but as Crump points out -- that statement doesn't address the officer's brutality, and there's no explanation or justification for what happened anyway. The P.D.'s initial statement seemed to justify the incident, and it appears it was released before the video surfaced.

The Mayor of Minneapolis has expressed outrage, saying, "When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense."

Of course, the cop responsible for the knee to the neck had a partner during the arrest, and Crump believes that officer's actions make him complicit in the killing. As Crump says ... this cop also ignored Floyd's cries and protests from people watching, and didn't do a thing to help.

Minneapolis PD Chief Medaria Arradondo seems to have reached a similar conclusion -- on Tuesday afternoon he announced the firing of 4 officers involved in the incident. The officers names have not been released yet.

Crump feels it's long overdue for police officers to be held accountable for their actions -- or inaction -- like this ... no more benefit of the doubt or obligatory moral high ground given. Listen to how Ben explains it, though ... he makes a very good point.

Finally, this case is being compared to the death of Eric Garner in 2014 because of the obvious similarities, and Crump says he's going to try to get Eric's family in touch with Floyd's ... a request made by Eric's mother.

The killing of George Floyd is starting to have Rodney King-esque levels of repercussions out in Minnesota -- hundreds of people are taking to the street and decrying his death.

Check out this scene right now in Minneapolis, where throngs of people are blocking roads and demonstrating en masse. Several different blocks are completely covered in bodies moving about -- it's surreal to see from a bird's eye view.

Things don't appear to be getting too out of hand at the moment, but we're sure law enforcement (and the public) is keeping a close eye on how things play out in the hours to come.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced 4 cops have been fired over George Floyd's death. The police chief, who made the announcement during a Tuesday news conference, did not identify the officers involved. Mayor Jacob Frey said, "This is the right call."

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just delivered some strong remarks about the death of the African-American man, George Floyd, who had an officer's knee on his neck for several minutes -- and his message is clear ... this cop failed by all accounts, and the victim should NOT have died.

Mayor Frey says, "Being Black in should not be a death sentence." He goes on to say, "When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." Frey added, "All I keep coming back to is this: this man should not have died."

Frey went on to say that the victim's life mattered, and that regardless of what the investigation revealed ... it doesn't change the simple fact that what happened is wrong. He also issued an apology to the African-American community and the family of the victim in Minneapolis, saying he was so sorry.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo also came to the podium and backed up what the Mayor said. He also implied the knee technique was not one sanctioned or taught at the police academy there, and also discussed why the feds were set to investigate.

A Minneapolis man is dead after a police officer put his knee on the man's neck and kept it there, despite pleas by the man that he couldn't breathe, and now the FBI is on the case.

It happened Monday night, when cops were responding to a "forgery in progress." Police arrived and saw the suspect sitting in a car. According to the Department, the man resisted arrest so he was placed in handcuffs, adding "he appeared to be suffering medical distress."

The Police Dept. added, "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident."

What the P.D. did not address ... is the video, and it's incredibly disturbing.

You see the man on the ground in cuffs, as an officer puts his knee on his neck and the African-American man cries out, "Please, I can't breathe." The officer doesn't budge, as another officer passively watches.

It's apparent the man is in distress, as a passerby screams, "That's bulls***, bro. You're stopping his breathing right there, bro. Get him off the ground, bro," adding the officer was "enjoying it."

The man becomes motionless, an ambulance shows up and the man is taken to a hospital where he died.

The officers, whose bodycams were on and activated during the incident, were placed on administrative leave and the FBI is now investigating.

Another emotional tribute to ex-WWE superstar Shad Gaspard ... this time, it's Arnold Schwarzenegger calling Shad "the ultimate hero."

Arnold knew Shad from the legendary Gold's Gym in Venice -- where some of the top bodybuilders from around the world go to train.

It's clear Shad made an impression on Arnold -- not just from pumping iron -- but for just being an all around good dude.

In fact, so many people at the gym had love for Shad, they set up a memorial right in front ... and Tuesday morning, Arnold showed some love.

"On my bike ride today I stopped to pay respects to Shad Gaspard," Arnold said.

"He was such a positive force in the gym and the world. He was a hero in bodybuilding, a hero in wrestling, and the moment he told lifeguards to save his son first, the ultimate hero."

"My thoughts are with his family."

As we previously reported, Shad was caught in a riptide during a beach swim in Marina del Rey with his 10-year-old son on March 17.

Lifeguards rushed out to help them -- but Shad directed them to rescue his son first. Moments later, a giant wave crashed on Gaspard, pulling him under.

His body washed up on shore a few days later.

Since then, stars from all over the world have paid tribute ... remembering Shad as a really nice guy, a solid wrestler and a great husband and father.

Richard Herd -- who played George Costanza's Yankees boss on "Seinfeld" -- has died.

The veteran actor -- who's possibly best remembered as Mr. Wilhelm on the hit sitcom -- passed away Tuesday at his home in L.A. due to complications from cancer.

Herd only appeared on 11 episodes of "Seinfeld," but his time was memorable (and hilarious). He portrayed a (fake) New York Yankees executive who supervised George when he was the assistant to the traveling secretary, and would often give GC complicated tasks he'd fumble his way through completing (or not completing, more often).

Mr. Wilhelm eventually stole George's dream gig of scouting for the Mets ... a great farewell to his character.

Richard had many, many roles besides "Seinfeld," though -- he acted in huge films like "All the President's Men," "Get Out," "The China Syndrome," and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."

On TV, he also appeared on "Simon & Simon," "Murder, She Wrote," "Quantum Leap," "SeaQuest 2032," "Dallas" and "Hart to Hart."

He's survived by his wife, Patricia, and his three children.

A two-faced kitten who was born in Oregon this past week has died just four days later ... despite a hard-fought battle to pull through.

The rare feline phenom -- which is often referred to as a Janus cat -- was part of a litter of six kittens that popped out in Albany on Wednesday, and the owner, Kyla King, noticed one of them had two mugs on one giant head. She named the kitty Biscuits and Gravy.

Kyla and her family documented B&G's development over the next few days, showing off their attempts to feed the kitten -- which proved incredibly difficult, on account of it being able to feed itself out of both faces -- as well as it playing and napping with its siblings.

The owners say Biscuit (its short name) was actually able to eat pretty decently, but he simply wouldn't grow ... and had trouble carrying its head, which was too big for its body.

In the end, the cat died of natural causes -- with Kyla writing ... "This photo was taken about an hour before Biscuits died. Kyla gave up 3 1/2 days of her life to put all of her efforts into saving him. He was born with the longest of odds and by living nearly 4 days, he beat those odds."

She added, "We thank all of you who have been so kind, prayed, and wished the best for Biscuits and Gravy. So many of you care and wanted to follow his progress, and said some very nice things to and about us. We will never forget your kindness!"

It's not uncommon for Janus cats like these to have short lifespans -- they simply have too many internal complications for prolonged good health. One exception though ... 15-year-old Frank and Louie, AKA Frankenlouie. He toughed it out for a long time, and died in 2014.

Someone donated $40,000 to the family of the late WWE star Shad Gaspard ... and it's looking like the secret donor is none other than John Cena.

The family created a GoFundMe account for funeral and other expenses ... this after Shad tragically died last weekend off the Venice Beach shore. Lifeguards swam out to rescue Shad but he implored them to get his 10-year-old son first. They did, but when they came back Shad was gone -- swept out to sea. His body was found 3 days later.

Someone pledged a whopping $40,000. As for who, the person's identity was recorded as "CTC RIP."

Now the clues ...  CTC -- Cryme Tyme Cenation -- was a wrestling tag team comprised of Cena, Shad and JTG back in 2008. Cryme Tyme had existed before, but Cena joined -- though only for a short time. He suffered an injured early on and ended up dropping out, leaving Shad and JTG to continue their insanely popular tag team.

We're also told John and was extremely close to Shad and had commented to various people last week he wanted to do something for the family.

Now check out the photo John just posted ... a car with the letter CTC emblazoned on the smashed whip. It looks like Cena and Shad are spray painting the car. The pic is clearly from a match ... you see fans all around.

Carl Crawford is ready to talk about the double drowning that occurred at his home -- and his first words are ones of regret and remorse for the victims.

The former Dodger star turned record label executive took to social media this weekend to reflect on the fatal accident that took place at his crib in Houston a week ago, saying ... "My Hearts Heavy. The tragic events that occurred at my home will be with me forever. I'm at a loss for words I've struggled all week to manage my emotions and I keep thinking of the families of those who've passed and their grief, I know they have it the hardest."

He continued, "They are the first and last thing I think of these days. Please keep them in your prayers, I know they will always be in mine." He captioned his post with prayer hands.

TMZ broke the story ... Crawford's home became the site of two drownings after a woman and child both fell into his pool and, ultimately, died. Carl tried resuscitating them himself, but was unsuccessful. Paramedics eventually arrived and transported the two victims, who were unresponsive.

The boy was no more than 5 years old, but the woman he was with was not his mother -- he was simply in her care for the day. Carl was hosting a small gathering that weekend.

Former WWE star Shad Gaspard was honored Friday during a sunset memorial at the site where he tragically died.

Shad's wife, Siliana, invited lots of friends and family, along with some of his many fans, to pay homage where the beloved star drowned last weekend, after heroically directing lifeguards to help his 10-year-old son out of the churning waters of Venice Beach. Shad's body was found 3 days later.

Shad was universally liked ... a genuinely good man who died a hero.

RIP

Japanese pro wrestler Hana Kimura -- a featured member of Netflix's hit show, "Terrace House" -- has died at age 22.

Stardom Wrestling confirmed Kimura's death on Friday ... saying "We are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away."

"Please be respectful and allow some time for things to process, and keep your thoughts and prayers with her family and friends."

"We appreciate your support during this difficult time."

Kimura made her debut at Wrestle-1 and won her first title at the JWP Junior plate in 2016 ... and officially joined Stardom in 2019.

Kimura was famously a leader of the Tokyo Cyber Squad ... a fan favorite among Japanese wrestling fans.

Hana was a beloved character on "Terrace House" ... with many attaching themselves to her hopeless romantic character.

NBA Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Sloan -- who was a member of the Utah Jazz organization for more than 30 years -- has died.

Sloan died early Friday due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. The Jazz released a statement, saying, "Jerry Sloan will always be synonymous with the Utah Jazz. He will forever be a part of the Utah Jazz organization and we join his family, friends and fans in mourning his loss. We are so thankful for what he accomplished here in Utah and the decades of dedication, loyalty and tenacity he brought to our franchise."

Sloan was the head coach of the Jazz for 23 years with 1,223 wins, 20 trips to the playoffs and two NBA Finals appearances ... in which Sloan's teams lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Sloan's post-game presser after Michael Jordan's "Flu Game" was recently featured on ESPN's "The Last Dance" ... the coach claimed he didn't even know MJ was sick.

The team statement continues, "Like Stockton and Malone as players, Jerry Sloan epitomized the organization. He will be greatly missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Tammy, the entire Sloan family and all who knew and loved him.”

Sloan worked for the Jazz organization for 34 years as either head coach, assistant, scout or senior basketball adviser.

Sloan was 78.

William "Roddie" Bryan, the man who recorded the video of Ahmaud Arbery's killing, is now the third suspect to be arrested for the young man's murder.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation just announced the arrest, saying Bryan's been hit with charges of felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The GBI says the charges stem from the February 23 incident that resulted in Arbery's death. Bryan will be booked into the Glynn County Jail.

As we reported ... Roddie claimed he was simply a witness to the slaying and had zero involvement with what went down between Arbery and the 2 men previously arrested for his murder -- Gregory and Travis McMichael.

Bryan said after his video leaked online that he was fearful for his life and was receiving death threats. The GBI said Bryan and his video were under investigation, and he was initially named in the police report for allegedly trying to block Ahmaud during the chase while he was jogging. Bryan denied any involvement, though.

As we told you ... Arbery's family and legal team strongly believed Bryan was involved in the incident, along with the McMichaels, and wants him to face justice.

"Ink Master" star Daniel Silva is reeling from the fatal car crash that killed his friend, YouTube star Corey La Barrie ... according to his attorney, who's confident Daniel will beat a murder charge.

Sources close to Daniel tell TMZ ... Silva had been working hard all day leading up to the deadly crash, and showed up to Corey's birthday party totally sober. We're also told Daniel was only at the party for 2 hours, but was seen drinking White Claw hard seltzer.

We broke the story ... Daniel was arrested and charged with 2nd-degree murder after wrecking a black McLaren sports car earlier this month. Corey, his passenger in the car, died from injuries suffered in the crash. They had just left Corey's 25th birthday party.

Daniel's attorney, Mike Cavalluzzi, tells TMZ ... "This is a horrible tragedy and our hearts go out to Corey's family and friends. We are reviewing all of the evidence and will reserve comment for a later time. For now, it is most important that everyone involved is given time and space to grieve."

Remember ... our law enforcement sources say witnesses claim Silva allegedly tried to flee the scene but was stopped by bystanders. Witnesses also say Daniel was drinking before getting in the driver's seat, but he has NOT been charged with DUI.

We're told Cavalluzzi believes prosecutors will not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Daniel was driving drunk. He says the crash was nothing more than a horrible accident.

"Shad was one of those guys that everybody loved."

That's Triple H telling TMZ Sports why the death of former WWE superstar Shad Gaspard is such a huge loss ... explaining, "He was just a great human being."

Of course, Shad began his relationship with WWE in 2002 when he tried out for the "Tough Enough 2" reality show.

He busted his ass and earned a WWE contract in 2005 -- eventually making the big stage in early 2006.

He ultimately parted ways with WWE in 2010 but Triple H says they had a good relationship ... and even chatted just a few months ago.

"Just the greatest guy," Triple H said ... "So nice."

The WWE exec also said the fact he died while trying to save his 10-year-old son "tells you everything you need to know about the guy."

Gaspard was declared missing on May 17 after he was caught in a riptide during a swim with his son in Marina del Rey.

Rescuers were able to pull his son out of the water, but they were unable to save Shad. His body was found on May 20.

Triple H says WWE honored Shad on Wednesday's 'NXT' show -- but he believes there will be another tribute on "Friday Night Smackdown."

The L.A. County Coroner has identified the body found on L.A.'s Venice Beach as ex-WWE superstar Shad Gaspard ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The body was first seen on the beach by a citizen who called cops around 1:30 AM Wednesday ... according to our law enforcement sources. We're told officers responded and recovered the body right near Venice Pier.

A short time later, several people (we're told family members and close friends) gathered at the beach.

They were hugging, talking and crying. At one point, some of the people waded into the water.

The L.A. Fire Department held a news conference Wednesday morning, saying the body matches the description of Shad ... a 6'6" black male over 240 lbs.

As we first reported, he went missing on Sunday afternoon when a group of swimmers, including Shad and his son, Aryeh, got caught in a rip current south of the Pier.

Shad heroically told lifeguards to focus on getting his 10-year-old son to shore safely, but when they returned he'd gone under.

Police and Coast Guard boats and divers searched the rough water for nearly 2 days before suspending their efforts.

Shad loved hanging out at the beach, and less than 2 weeks ago he'd posted a heartwarming vid walking through the sand and surf with Aryeh. Shad wrote, "Love the life I built for my self and my family."

He was one-half of the popular WWE tag team, Cryme Time, along with his partner, JTG.

He was also a regular at the legendary Gold's Gym in Venice, and as we learned firsthand ... a truly great guy.

Shad is survived by his wife Siliana and their son.

He was 39.

RIP